Back catalogue: Techno (Alles)

Review: With a name like Global Underground, we're left starry-eyed at a fanciful idea: a vast, interconnected network of tunnels, reticulating every nightclub in the world. Who wouldn't want that? While the possibility of such a thing is most likely inexistent in our human lifetimes, the eponymous international record label at least aim to make a "global underground" real in spirit with their City Series of mixes. Their latest full-length from Montreal native Joseph Capriati captures this fervent mood: with the initiate DJ repping the jubilant Canadian city, the mix segues between Ame, Len Faki, Deetron and Louie Vega highlights, and is a modern house and techno showstopper.

Review: The fully mixed version of Confidence Man's debut Fabric mix record is here on CD. In contrast to the selectors' LP version - also sold by us - this full version is a seamless, singular slab of optical laser-read musical licence, espousing the central vibe-theme of Confidence Man's message: have confidence. Well, except for want of a receiving ear, we find ourselves tentatively able to confide in Confidence Man's Fabric mix ("better than therapy" joke happily dodged) as a substitution in the meantime; for it too shows us that real, authentic, and boundless confidence can, believably, indeed, be found in bouncy dance exclusives available on CD only. Among these are Patrick Prins' kitsch chipmunk banger 'Fiesta Conga' and Cygnus X's steezy-cheesy trance stutterer 'Positron'03'. With both many a throwback and a present promo in tow, Confidence Man dice up and dole out a small slice of their huge stash of their patented auricular confidence dust.

Review: Second time around for Jean-Michel Jarre's 2022 album Oxymore, a loving tribute to French composer and 'music concrete' pioneer Pierre Henry. As the title suggests, this version features new remixes of album tracks (all of which feature sounds originally created by Henry) by a disparate group of musical talents. That makes for an interesting mix of interpretations, with armin Van Buuren's sizable trance translation of 'Epica' rubbing shoulders with a trippy, off-kilter electro take on 'Sex In The Machine' by Nina Kraviz, a moody Martin Gore interpretation of 'Brutalism', Irene Dresel's raw techno revision of 'Zeitgeist Botanica', and ambient pioneer Brian Eno putting his spin on 'Epica'.

Review: After almost three decades, Kompakt Records is set to deliver its' 500th release - a ridiculously impressive landmark that few electronic labels have previously achieved. To mark the occasion, the Cologne-based imprint has decided to deliver an anniversary compilation featuring (mostly edited) versions of some of its most iconic club hits, underground gems and early obscurities. It does a terrific job in explaining, via music, the label's contribution to European electronic music culture - think 'maximalist' minimal, off-kilter tech-house, ambient pop, synth-heavy hypnotism and twisted, off-kilter nu-disco. Naturally, all of the label's most significant contributors are present (Superpitcher, Justus Kohncke, Robag Wruhme, Gas, The Orb, Jurgen Paape etc), alongside artists you probably didn't realise had released on the label.

Review: Those who enjoy the more intense, mind-mangling end of techno (particularly the trance-tinged, big room-ready European variants) should check out this three-disc mix-up on ZYX. Felix Reichwelt handles disc one, surging through tracks from the likes of Uncertain (the warehouse-ready excellence of 'Whack'), Thomas Schumacher (the acid-fired Jam & Spoon revivalism of 'Come Closer') and Spartaque (the fiendishly brutal 'Exhausted'), before SLT and Schwarze Puppen take over on disc two with a mix tailor made for massive venues with enormous soundsystems, minimal lighting, and thousands of wild ravers reaching for the strobes. NK4!D handles the third and final disc, offering a fine balance between riffs, melodies, intense acid lines and thunderous techno beats.

Review: Music From Memory share the CD edition (there's also a vinyl release) of their latest in a series of compilations, which focuses on the tide of new ambient and minimalist electronica which came about at the turn of the millennium, Virtual Dreams. Whilst the first volume focused on the techno and electronica musics emergent in Europe in 1993-99, Virtual Dreams Vol. 2 homes in on Japan during the same period, tracking the regional, geosonic differences between each global cultural centre. Tracing a fibrous thread, that began to weave itself of its own accord, out from the early 90s acid house FOMO experienced in Japan's early days, through to its restful response with the dawn of "listening techno" proffered by the likes of Sublime Records, Syzygy Records and Frogman Records, many of the tracks featured therein cull their choices from not only these leading lights but also the odd and not-so-odd rarity, helping usher in a truer representation of the era.

Review: Kompakt's Total 24 compilation is the nest episode in the label's amazing series. This cd version opens with Hamburg's Ada remixing Heiko Voss, followed by Jurgen Paape's vibrant 'Chee-Caruso.' Newcomer Deer Jade delivers the frolicsome house track 'Jukurpa,' while Jonathan Kaspar's 'Are You' captures the euphoria of his DJ sets. Hardt Antoine impresses with his dynamic style, and Sascha Funke pays homage to German showbiz with 'The Heck.' Tee Mango joins with his unique sound, and Joyce Muniz teams up with Sara Blum for the uplifting 'Beats & Lines.' Gui Boratto collaborates with Darren Emerson on the captivating 'The Shell,' and Rex The Dog offers the heartfelt 'Laika.' Raxon's 'Beskar' showcases his Star Wars inspiration, and David Hasert and Nicone's 'Wasting My Time With You' is a highlight. Reinhard Voigt's quirky 'Der, der mit dem Gummiball sang (Orange)' features various animals, while Argia's 'Love Keeps You Running' blends groove and pop. Wassermann's track concludes the compilation with a touch of Arabian Nights magic. Total 24 is a diverse and engaging collection that exemplifies Kompakt's ability to curate exceptional electronic music.

Review: Bonzai Classics delivers a nostalgic package with Bonzai Compilation IV - The Fourth Level, a fully remastered collection of trance and techno gems that once ruled the 90s dance floors. Now available on a double CD, this compilation revisits an era when underground rave culture was in full swing, and each track pulsates with the energy that defined the scene. From booming basslines to sweeping melodies, the remastered sound breathes new life into these iconic tunes, providing a thrilling experience for both long-time listeners and newcomers to the style. The Fourth Level has a lineup of influential artists who helped shape electronic music, capturing the creativity and innovation of the time. With its powerful rhythms and euphoric synths, this album serves as both a tribute to the genre.

Review: "It's All For You" is a complement to the Sect vinyl catalogue, and a mark of respect to the CD in techno history. Artists known and new swell the ranks, representing the techno forms in the honorable Sect style. Beyond the usual, exceptionally high standard of quality from the Sect roster of artists so far, new artist productions on the first CD include Ben Gibson's "Clamour", a modern take on a Tokyo-style future cityscape, Jeroen Search's "Section A", a physical, forward thinking deep techno triumph and Voidloss' "In The Void" - techno the way it should be made for the 21st century. On CD 2, AnD's "Granular" offers traditional dub aesthetics and modern techno techniques taken to a wholly satisfying next level, while OCH's "Tears" manifest as a dark techno experience of rhythm-led lines of perfection. CV's "Acceptance Of The Fact At Hand" hones hues of colour in aural form, as a subtle vista is painted with strings of haunted beauty.

Review: Franck Vigroux may be a nightmare for journalists - he rarely talks about his music, preferring to keep his aims, influences and inspirations to himself - but he's amassed an impressive catalogue of experimental-minded releases over the last two decades. While that was initially abstract jazz/electronica fusion, in recent times his releases have explored full-throttle, synths-and-drum-machine driven industrial music, albeit with plenty of dark, paranoid ambience - and his trademark fuzzy guitar textures - thrown in. It's that hybrid sound that he explores on Grand Bal, flitting between horror movie soundscapes (the John Carpenter-esuqe '68'), 'cold wave' workouts ('Vice', the ghostly 'La Live'), fractured ambient ('Lightnin') and intense, noisy and insanely weighty industrial slammers ('Loic').